To Tie Us Together
by Leebot
Summary: With their wedding only weeks away, Shizuru and Natsuki prepare to spend the rest of their lives together.
1. Wedding Ready

**To Tie Us Together**

**Chapter 2:** Making it Perfect

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Shizuru placed her hands gently on Natsuki's shoulders. She watched for a moment as her love played through Neverwinter, waiting until a good moment for her to take a break. Once it looked like the action had calmed down, she reached her arms down and wrapped Natsuki in a hug. "Na~tsu~ki~" she said, in her best alluring voice.

As the fighting died down on screen, Natsuki felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She certainly couldn't resist that voice. "Yes?" she said.

"I'm just getting excited," Shizuru said. "Our wedding's coming up soon, after all. It's hard to believe, but just... it makes me so incredibly happy." Tears briefly filled Shizuru's eyes as she spoke, but she didn't fight them.

Turning around in her chair, Natsuki pulled Shizuru to her. Shizuru shifted her position gracefully, and Natsuki soon wound up with her love in her lap. A smile was on Natsuki's face, reaching her eyes. "I know. I'm excited too."

Shizuru's eyes met Natsuki's, and she smiled back at her love. She slowly leaned in, bringing her lips to gently touch Natsuki's. Her lips moved slowly against those of her love, feeling every slight motion of them. With every motion, every sensation, she felt her chest grow warmer, her heart filling even more with love.

Natsuki softly hummed, gently kissing Shizuru back. Her arms pulled her fiancée closer, enjoying the closeness and intimacy of their kiss. When at last they parted, Natsuki gazed into Shizuru's eyes. "I love you."

Shizuru brought her hand up to Natsuki's cheek, gently cradling it as she gazed back into her love's eyes. "I love you too, my dear fiancée," She said. "My Natsuki." It was finally happening. Just a few weeks left now, and Natsuki would be her wife.


	2. Making it Perfect

**Author's Note:** So sorry for the wait on this. This fic is a collab project, so I can only do it when both my collaborator and I are in the mood for Shiznat RP, which hasn't been often as of late. (You can blame the Legend of Korra finale for that if you want.) Anyway, I do hope you all enjoy!

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**To Tie Us Together**

**Chapter 2: **Making it Perfect

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Shizuru let out a sigh. She didn't know why, but today had been quite draining. She'd finally gotten Natsuki to sit down with her and make all the little decisions needed for the wedding - everything from the types of flowers on the tables to the fonts on the invitations. There were still a lot of big decisions to be made, but at least after today, most of the smaller ones had been dealt with. Even so… she would have hoped that after a day like today, she would have felt more accomplished. But something still didn't feel right. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps she simply needed to get more sleep.

Natsuki had noticed Shizuru taking more of a backseat in the wedding planning, but she decided not to talk about it then, opting instead to take the reins in the discussion. As the day turned into evening, it eventually got to the point where all Shizuru did was nod in affirmation, occasionally squeezing Natsuki's hand here and there. Thankfully, the list Shizuru had prepared was nearing its end, so they were able to push through it.

Once they were done, Natsuki let her fiancee head off to bed while she cleaned up the mess at the table, putting it away for now before joining her in the bedroom. Kiyoran was already asleep in his crate so she had no worry about him - he was old enough now that he wouldn't make a mess in the house, and he could wander freely if needed, but his crate was his bed.

Closing the bedroom door behind her, Natsuki shucked off her clothes and changed into some pajamas, climbing into bed where her lover was already half-asleep. Or at least, she thought she was half-asleep. "Hey, you okay?" Natsuki asked softly, curling up against Shizuru.

"Mm? Just worn out, I think," Shizuru said. Her mind certainly wasn't with her right now, and she wasn't even sure she'd heard Natsuki's question correctly. At least right now she could be certain that she felt Natsuki's body against her own, which always made her feel comfortable and helped her relax. Shizuru let out a yawn, snuggling back against Natsuki as she let her eyes fall closed.

Natsuki didn't press the issue; Shizuru certainly looked tired, and was outright exhausted when she left the table about fifteen minutes ago. "Mm, okay. Get some sleep," she replied, placing a kiss on the back of her love's head while wrapping her arms around Shizuru's waist.

Shizuru hummed gently in reply. After a minute of trying to settle down and get to sleep, she eventually let out a sigh. This just wasn't working. "...Natsuki?" she said at last.

"Mm?" came Natsuki's reply. She hadn't yet fallen asleep either, simply relaxing in bed and preparing to sleep.

"I think I know what's been bothering me today..." she said. She opened her eyes as she spoke, gazing forward. "Though... I guess I... don't really know the best way to put it into words." Shizuru let out a sigh. She'd have to try. "I just... I wish all our friends and family could be there with us when we get a legal marriage. The ceremony we're planning now... it just... that one part of can never be perfect."

Her eyes opened at the revelation. "... I see." It was all Natsuki could say, given the weight of the words. As it stood now, Japan was not a place where they could legally get married anywhere. The general consensus was very slowly changing its view of gay marriage within the country, but as it stood now it was pretty much impossible to legalize their marriage within these borders. Even if they were to marry elsewhere, would Japan still not recognize it? She needed to do some research on that...

Shizuru nodded slowly. She hadn't been expecting Natsuki to come up with a magic solution for that. "I think I got myself stuck on trying to solve that problem while we were solving all the other ones. But somehow I don't think the perfect invitations are going to do much there."

Natsuki gave Shizuru a reassuring squeeze with her arms, pulling her love in just a bit more tightly. "We'll find a way. I'm sure of it." It was all she could do to keep herself from getting too upset herself. As it stood, Japan was mostly homophobic, and in today's society and globally, they had to catch up, yet again.

Those words... There was something about the way Natsuki said it that sparked an idea in Shizuru's mind. She shifted her position, rolling over so she could face Natsuki. "Natsuki?" she said as she met her fiancee's gaze. "Do you think... sometime in our life, it will really be legal here?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Natsuki opened them again, gazing into her love's eyes with a fire in her own. "It's only a matter of time. Japan is prideful, but the West has been legalizing it at an alarming rate. I heard that the European Union has stated it is a human right, not a privilege, which tells me that a lot of those countries have to change their laws. There's only so long that Japan can remain pridefully stuck in the past."

Shizuru nodded slowly. After a moment, she let a smile cross her face. "Then that's the solution. We do this now, for us. And then when the government finally comes around, we can renew our vows - for us, but for the government it will be our legal marriage. And we can invite everyone back then. It may take some time, but we can still make it all just perfect."

Natsuki nodded. She smiled softly, leaning forward to press her lips against Shizuru's for a moment, then pulled back. "We'll do what we can. For us."

Shizuru hummed in response to Natsuki's kiss. But after her lover spoke, Shizuru had to chuckle just a bit. "Well, I should count myself lucky then that the scope of things I believe we can do is quite large indeed."

Natsuki's smile turned into a grin. "Got that right. Now, let's get some sleep. We've got a lot of work to do."

Shizuru nodded. She leaned back in and planted a quick kiss on Natsuki's lips. "Agreed. Night, Suki."


	3. The Road Ahead

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long delay, everyone. My coauthor hasn't been in the right place for Shiznat, so we haven't been able to work on this together. She gave me her permission to continue this on my own though, so here you go.

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**To Tie Us Together**

**Chapter 3:** The Road Ahead

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Natsuki paused in her step, catching sight of Kiyoran out of the corner of her eye. The dog was pawing at the bottom of the couch, seemingly trying to get at something that had fallen beneath it. Natsuki furrowed her brow as she approached them, wondering if there was perhaps some food there. She'd been pretty careful not to drop any of her snacks, and Shizuru of course would have been doubly so, so it seemed unlikely. Still, it was worth checking.

"Kiyo?" she said, kneeling down beside her puppy. "What are you trying to get there?" As Natsuki spoke, Kiyoran looked up at her and backed away a couple steps, his eyes wide as he silently asked her for help. Smiling, Natsuki obliged her dog, reaching in underneath the couch. As it turned out, it wasn't food that had slipped under there though, so she didn't have to worry about denying it to Kiyo. Instead, her hand came into contact with something furry and soft.

Natsuki raised her eyebrow as she grabbed onto the object. It was wedged in, but it wasn't too hard to pull it out from beneath the couch. When it was clear, she was able to look at it and confirm her suspicions: The furry and soft part she'd grabbed onto was the fluffy tail of a plush squirrel, one of Kiyo's favorite toys.

"Okay, now how did that get in there?" Natsuki said, as if expecting an answer to come from Kiyoran's mouth. Of course, no explanation was forthcoming. He did seem quite happy to see the toy, and he anxiously shifted in place, perhaps waiting for Natsuki to begin playing with him. Smiling at the dog, Natsuki held the squirrel out to him tail first, brushing the soft tail against his face. Kiyo tried to dodge it, but only half-heartedly. He seemed to be having just as much fun trying to brush his cheek up against it. "You still haven't answered my question, you know," Natsuki said, smiling at the dog.

He must have been playing with the toy when it had gotten under the couch. But exactly what was he doing with it? Images flashed through Natsuki's mind of various ways it might have gotten stuck there. Perhaps Kiyo had been trying to bring it in closer with his paws but had pushed it away instead, then tried to bite onto it but couldn't get a good grip. Or maybe he was doing something silly with it, like pushing it around with his nose - Natsuki had actually caught sight of him doing that once. She's also seen him squaring off against it as if it were a living animal, sometimes even barking at it when he was in a playful enough mood.

"You sure can be a silly puppy sometimes, you know that?" Natsuki said. Her voice got Kiyo's attention. He'd managed to grab the tail in his mouth, and he looked up at Natsuki without dropping it, letting out a muffled noise. At this, Natsuki couldn't help but break out into laughter. "And you do that right as I call you silly. You are silly, you know," Natsuki said, reaching out to ruffle the fur on his head. "You get that from Shizuru, don't you? She's always encouraging you to be silly. Don't think I don't notice."

Kiyo made another muffled noise - perhaps an attempt at a bark - and he tugged back on the toy. Engaging him in a little game of tug-of-war, Natsuki smiled at her and Shizuru's puppy. Aside from perhaps encouraging Kiyo to be a bit too silly, Shizuru was quite a good master to him. Taking care of him really seemed to come naturally to her, even though she'd never had a dog before. She really had a caring, loving heart.

Natsuki's hand let go of the toy as her mind began to drift to thoughts about Shizuru. She only had a moment though, before she felt Kiyoran's paw on her knee, bringing her attention back to the dog. Smiling at him, Natsuki pushed herself up and took a seat on the couch. Patting her lap, she said, "Alright, come here, boy." Kiyo hopped up onto the couch, the toy still in his mouth, and he lay down just beside Natsuki, letting the toy rest on her lap. Chuckling, Natsuki placed a hand on his back and began to stroke it. "You really love that thing, don't you? I guess even you want something to love and take care of, just like the rest of us…"

For a minute, Natsuki simply enjoyed some cuddle time with her dog. Her eyes drifted to the front door eventually, wondering when Shizuru would be home. It would probably still be another fifteen minutes or so. She would have barely had time to drive to the store by now, much less do her shopping.

"...Kiyo?" Natsuki said after another minute, glancing down at her puppy. "Can I tell you something, puppy?" Kiyo shifted his head in response, turning so that he could look up at Natsuki with big, wet eyes. With a smile, Natsuki continued, "Shizuru and I are about to make a big step forward in our lives. And pretty soon after, it's going to be time for the next one. Don't tell Shizuru this; I want to be the one to tell her: I think I'm ready for us to have a baby together."

Natsuki could feel her chest tensing up as she spoke these words. It was the first time she'd admitted this out loud. It was true though. As she said it, she could feel that it was right. And Kiyo certainly didn't seem to have any problem with the idea.

Smiling at her puppy, Natsuki brought her hand to his ear and began to give it a good scratch. "I really don't want to wait too long. I'll be honest, Kiyo: I want our child to get to meet you, to know you as their first doggie, to have as much time as possible with you before you…" Natsuki blinked, her eyes suddenly becoming wet. "...well, you know. I want to share you with them, is what I'm saying."

Natsuki slowly breathed in, and then she exhaled slowly, trying to bring her mind in a better direction. It wasn't easy though. Now that she was in this state of mind, there were so many other worries that came up.

"Haa… I wish it could be easier. Kiyo… I'm worried that we won't be able to have a child, at least… not easily. The two of us can't legally adopt together. We can't legally hire a surrogate, or get IVF services… um, that's a sciencey procedure to make a baby, Kiyo. It would allow us both to be the mother - one would provide her egg, the other would give birth to it. But the government won't let us do that here." Natsuki ruffled the dog's ear, smiling softly at him. "And even if we could legally adopt, it's next to impossible these days to find a couple willing to adopt their child to you.

"There are still a couple options, but they aren't perfect. The easiest way would be to use a sperm donor, but then only one of us would be able to be the actual mother. The other wouldn't get any legal recognition at all for it. A bit better would be to go abroad for IVF, but that would be far too expensive for us alone. We'd need to ask Shizuru's parents - or worse, my father - to help foot the bill, and I really don't know how they'll react to that."

Natsuki let out a sigh. She moved her hand to the top of Kiyo's head, gently tickling it. "There is one silly thing we can do. I've heard that some same-sex couples have figured out a way to get some similar legal rights to marriage. What they do is, one of them legally adopts the other. If the parents of the adoptee don't object, the government can't really stop it. So we could do that, and then one of us would legally be the child's mother, and the other their grandmother or step-sister, and… ugh, I mean, I don't want our child ending up on a talk show someday trying to explain why their mother and grandmother are a bit too touchy-feely with each other."

Natsuki squeezed her eyes shut. She knew that some couples had actually done that, but she just couldn't wrap her head around it herself. She felt like she needed to do something for the sake of having a family with Shizuru, and making sure they had legal protections in case something went wrong… but that just seemed ridiculous.

"There is… one more option, Kiyo," Natsuki said, staring at the front door now. "We could move somewhere with better laws. But we'd be leaving all our friends and family behind. It seems… selfish. And it feels like running away. But… for Shizuru, for a family with her, I'd still do it. If that's what it took."

Her eyes seemed to fall shut of their own accord. She just couldn't find a solution to this. No matter what she thought of, there was always a big problem with it. "It's just not right, Kiyo. We shouldn't have to make this decision…" Kiyoran shifted under Natsuki's hand as she spoke. He pushed up against her hand, then stepped up onto her lap. Before Natsuki realized what he was up to, he'd climbed up her chest so that he could plant a couple slow, soft kisses on her face.

Smiling softly at him, Natsuki wrapped her arm around the puppy and ruffled the fur on his head. "Thanks, Kiyo. I needed that," she said, smiling at him. "You know, I faced a situation like this back in the Carnival. There was no way it could end with more than one of me, Shizuru, and Mai alive, and if it didn't end, then we would all end up dead. So I made the least bad choice I could. I went to Shizuru, and I made sure that if we were going to die, we did it together, in each other's arms. I hadn't even admitted my feelings about her to myself yet, but I still did that. And then… well, I guess you could call it a miracle. The bad parts of my choice went away. We were alive again, all of us.

"Maybe that's what I have to do this time," Natsuki said. She leaned over and planted a kiss on Kiyo's head. "I'll talk with Shizuru, and we can make the least bad choice. And then we'll fight to change things, to make the bad aspects of it go away in the future. We'll make things better for ourselves, and to every other couple like us in Japan. Just let them try and stop us."


End file.
